Sandy and I know some couples contemplating marriage and it’s always a kick watching the young stirrings of love. Or, as it’s painted for us in the Songs, when love has found its right time to be “awakened.”

I always ask in interviews, “Why exactly are you getting married?” and pay judicial attention to the response. Anything less than,

“Because God has brought us to each other and we’ve both gladly said ‘yes’ to His will”

Or –

“Because we want our lives to portray the Gospel through laying our lives down for the other, pursuing them always in deeper intimacy, jealously guarding our garden, and living to make sure the other – and myself – is coming into the fullness of their/our calling in Christ”

…And I’m not fully satisfied. “We’re just so in love” or “We’re meant for each other” may be acceptable replies but still fall short of the mark. “It just feels right” or “It’s the next logical step for us” are further afield and send up some yellow flags.

Take a look at Larissa and Ian’s story and see if you can’t find the portrait of love awakened and the gospel more beautifully put on display. I thought our story was something (and still do!) but theirs is also a match truly made in heaven.

For further reading…

The question everyone is asking after seeing this – Why? – is satisfyingly answered here, in Larissa’s own words, “Why We Got Married”.

This speaks to the heart and soul of a God-joined marriage.

Be Encouraged!
PS

I would be so blessed if you would share me with your online communities! Thank you!

Like this:

As I’m sure you’re well aware, gracious reader, I haven’t posted for better than a week. All is well; I’m merely engaged in hostilities against physical afflictions both familiar and unfamiliar. Neither has me destined for worse days I assure you; they do tend to take the wind out of one’s sails, however.

Thanks for your prayers. That, and you’ll never know how your simply reading the things I need to say touch me in ways that get past all my paralysis to a place of real feeling. I hope to be back in writing mode again soon. I think I still owe you a follow-up from last time.

Until then,

God remains good.

The best is still yet to come.

We have every reason to smile.

PS

I would be so blessed if you would share me with your online communities! Thank you!

Like this:

This is a follow-up to yesterday's post
Taking my life decade by decade, I'd confess these would be the relatable refrains of the Almighty to my heart in each scale of my journey:
As a child I was drawn to a Sunday School God with stories of … [Continue reading]

While existentialists have been pondering the answer to life's Ultimate Question for generations, I don't think they've ever understood the (right) question in the first place. To question the existence of God and the accountability of man is the … [Continue reading]

This week's episode outlines a scenario for the followers of Jesus in coming days. What will 2015 hold for the Church?
I have a challenging word for us. You'll need to read Acts 27 and 28 which provides background and scriptural support for where … [Continue reading]

If you've managed to string together some years of living, you can't deny the times you've stood at a crucial crossroad and asked, "How will I get through this?"
And yet, here you are.
There've been some Goliaths here and there, some Waterloos, a … [Continue reading]

Once upon a time Jesus healed a guy with a withered arm. I think I remember studying about that boy and getting the idea it was some kind of farming mishap that rendered his arm useless. The word used in that account means shriveled or twisted up … [Continue reading]